UFC on FX 6 Prelims: 5 Reasons to Watch

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Australia for the
first time in nine months when UFC on FX 6 takes place at the Gold
Coast Convention Centre in Queensland.

The FX-broadcast main draw airs live on Friday in the United States
and is headlined by a coaches’ showdown between “The Ultimate
Fighter: The Smashes” stars George
Sotiropoulos and Ross
Pearson. Here are five reasons to tune in for the undercard,
which airs live on Fuel TV immediately prior to the FX
telecast:

Pierce’s Pride

He is that charging grizzly bear you fire on twice, only to then
watch him crack a sly grin when both rounds ricochet off his skull
like Skittles bouncing off a bowling ball. By the way, he is still
coming at you. Better reload.

If you do not know Pierce’s story, here is the lowdown: were it not
for split decision losses to Johny
Hendricks and Josh
Koscheck, we would all probably be griping about Pierce -- not
Hendricks -- being given the shaft when it came to a welterweight
title shot.

Undersized but rarely outgunned, Pierce’s hard-nosed style was
never more endorphin-inducing than in his most recent outing
against Aaron
Simpson at UFC on FX 5, where the Oregonian picked himself up
off the canvas following a first-round knockdown to starch the
“A-Train” early in the second.

At 32, Pierce is running out of time to make a run at that
welterweight belt. Can he take another step toward the title by
dispatching Seth
Baczynski?

Bullseye or Backfire

As for Baczynski, a victory over Pierce would gain him some serious
street cred and force UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to start booking him
against Top-5 talent.

Needless to say, that means this is a big fight for “The Polish
Pistola,” who recently wrecked Norwegian prospect Simeon
Thoresen at UFC 152 after eating quite a few shots during the
bout’s opening four minutes.

Since making the cut to 170 pounds following a middleweight stint
on “The Ultimate Fighter 11,” Baczynski has gone undefeated,
rattling off four consecutive Octagon wins. Like Pierce, he is also
a gamer who never shies away from exchanging punches. Baczynski
will have a considerable edge in the size and reach categories come
fight night, and the 31-year-old should take care not to waste
those advantages by allowing the stout Pierce to close the gap and
punch from point-blank range.

Can Baczynski keep his foe on the end of his jab and use his size
to guide him to victory, or will he wilt under Pierce’s relentless
pressure, as so many others have?

Money Maker

File
Photo: Sherdog.com

Mendes remains a force at 145.

As many of you have likely deduced by this point, Chad Mendes
is an excellent fighter. His problem, like so many others top
featherweights, is that Jose Aldo
currently sits atop Mount Olympus at 145 pounds.

Arguably the most powerful wrestler in the UFC featherweight
division, Mendes has bested all who have opposed him, save Aldo,
who knocked the Team Alpha Male standout cold with a violent knee
11 months ago at UFC 142.

Mendes rebounded from that setback impressively, crushing Cody
McKenzie with a right straight to the body just 31 seconds into
their UFC 148 clash back in July. If “Money” hopes to earn another
shot at the title, he likely cannot afford another loss, especially
with new featherweight additions Clay Guida and
Frankie
Edgar dropping down from 155 pounds to further crowd his
already shark-infested category.

Can Mendes snatch another victory and take one more step toward a
second chance at championship gold against promotional newcomer
Yaotzin
Meza, or will “Money” suffer his second loss in three
fights?

There Will Be Blood

Nothing riles up a crowd like a good old fashioned donnybrook, and
I suspect that is exactly what Igor
Pokrajac and Joey
Beltran aim to deliver.

I doubt there is a prop bet for this type of thing in Las Vegas,
but if I were given decent odds on this fight producing at least
two “Holy hell, how are these guys still standing?!” moments, I
would put my bills down in a second.

The flipside of that coin is that the bout is just as likely to
produce several “Good God, can somebody please display even a minor
degree of world-class skill?!” moments. That is life, boys and
girls. Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes, the bear eats
you.

I do not need to spell it out. If you are a fan worth your salt,
you remember Pokrajac’s brawl with Fabio
Maldonado, and you are undoubtedly already well-acquainted with
Beltran’s seemingly never-ending ability to absorb punishment while
continuing to move forward. This one might not be pretty, but it is
going to be fun.

Teammate Tossup

“The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” teammates will collide when
Mike
Wilkinson faces Brendan
Loughnane. Both unbeaten Brits, one lightweight will inevitably
return home nursing his first career defeat.

Known as “The Warrior,” Wilkinson has posted seven straight
victories since making his professional debut in 2009, but the
25-year-old prospect was knocked out of “Ultimate Fighter”
contention when he was injured in training following a first-round
submission victory over castmate Richie
Vaculik. Though Wilkinson possesses decent all-around skills,
his bread and butter definitely lies in his takedowns and top
control.

Meanwhile, Loughnane advanced to the “Smashes” semifinals by
outpointing Patrick
Iodice. Unfortunately for the five-fight pro, the Round of 4
would signal his demise, as he dropped a unanimous verdict to
Norman
Parke in their three-round exhibition affair.

Loughnane possesses good speed and is likely the quicker of the two
men. Additionally, he has shown an ability throw up submissions
from his back in the event that he ends up on bottom. With that
said, both fighters are well-rounded and should be fairly evenly
matched on fight night. Which “Ultimate Fighter” alum will show he
is deserving of a UFC gig?